Pocket for ring binders



May 4, 1954 s, w, BRUNNER POCKET FOR RING BINDERS Filed Nov. 26. 1952 lNvx-:NToR

SAM W. BRUNNER ATTORNEY Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POCKET FOR RING BINDERS Sam W. Brunner, Beechhurst, N. Y. Application November 26, 1952, Serial N o. 322,627

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to an improved pocket for ring binders which is so constructed and arranged that it may readily be slipped in place in ring binders of standard construction.

My improved pocket is made of a suitable thermoplastic resin, such as Vinylite, and is provided with knockout indentations along the rear edge thereof, which are suitably spaced from each other, so that the pocket will :dt various ring binders. A closure member is providedfor the pocket to prevent spilling of the contents of the pocket, and reinforcing means are provided at the rear edge or bottom of the pocket for reinforcing this edge of the pocket and at the same time prevent the rings of the binder from contacting and injuring the contents of the pocket. This construction has another advantage in that it permits the pocket to be filled, if desired, before insertion into the binder, the contents of the pocket being prevented from sliding to the rear edge of the pocket over the ring holes.

The entire pocket is free of metal, being constructed throughout of a thermoplastic with the sole exception of the slide for the fastener or zipper. The pocket also is completely free of stitching of any kind, all parts being heat-sealed where otherwise stitching or stapling would be required.

All of the features above referred to make for an exceedingly rugged, durable, and nice appearing article.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is an isometric View showing an open binder of the ring type with my improved pocket in place therein; and

Fig. 2 is a section on a much enlarged scale taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 2 designates a loose leaf binder of the ring type, the rings being designated 4.

The pocket to which my invention `directed is designated 6.

It will be appreciated that my improved pocket, which is flexible, may be inserted in the binder wherever desired. It has been shown inserted midway between the front and back of the binder merely for illustrative purposes.

As above pointed out, my improved pocket is constructed of thin sheets of flexible thermoplastic resin, such as Vinylite, for example.

Two sheets of the plasticized thermoplastic resin, designated 8 and I 0, are heat-sealed to each other along their upper and lower edges I2 and III, respectively, to provide the two ends for the pocket, as will be apparent from Fig. 1.

The two sheets 3 and I0 are of the same length, but the lower sheet hl is somewhat wider than the upper sheet 8, so as to project beyond it for a substantial distance at the front or open edge of the pocket, to provide aprojecting ap portion I8 to which I'heat-seal one closure element I8 of a fastener of the zipper type. This closure element is of plastic or other non-metallic material. The other closure element 20 of the fastener is of plastic or other non-metallic material'and is heat-sealed to the upper sheet 8 of the pocket. The slide for the fastener is designated 22,-and it too may be of plastic. As will appear from Fig. 1, not only are the two closure members I8 and 2U of the fastener heatsealed tothe sheets I 0 and 8 along the entire length of the fastener elements but the ends of the closure members, as seen at 24 and 26 are lheat-sealed to each other as well. This makes for an exceedingly strong closure for the pocket and prevents the fastener slide 22 from being moved too far along I8 and 20 and thus interfering with its successful operation. It is to be noted tha-t the heat-seal of the two ends of the fastener elements I8 and 20, to each other and to the sheets 8 and I 0 extends inwardly of the fastener elements a substantial distance beyond the sealed ends at I2 and I4 of the sheets 8 and I 0 to provide tabs 21, which may be grasped between the thumb and finger when manipulating the slide 22.

The rear edge of my improved pocket is of novel construction, and to illustrate this novel construction I have shown the same in Fig. 2, on a considerably enlarged scale.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, reinforcing strip 28 is inserted between the sheets 8 and I0 lengthwise of the pocket. This strip is unplasticized thermoplastic resin and is heat-sealed to these sheets.

In this heat-sealing operation, pressure is applied to the assembly, so that the sheet 8 is depressed at 30 and 32 appearing as grooves extending lengthwise of the pocket, the groove 32 extending adjacent the rear edge of the pocket, while the groove 30 is spaced a substantial distance therefrom toward the front edge of the pocket. In this same operation, I apply heat and pressure to the face of the assembly at predetermined areas between 3|) and 32, these predetermined areas being spaced lengthwise of the pocket at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the rings of various ring binders. The

die employed in this operation is shaped so that, in the nshed product, circular depressions 34 are provided in the material of the pocket, whereby the small discs 36 bounded by each depression 34 may readily be pushed out to provide holes 38 for the reception of the binder rings 4. Inasmuch as the sheets 8 and Ill and the strip 28 are heat-sealed at the circular depressions 34, as above mentioned, it will be obvious that the walls of the holes 38 are reinforced and, hence, will be highly resistant to tearing when the pocket is in use in a binder.

It will be appreciated that by heat-sealing the sheets 8 and I0 and strip 28 along the grooveor depression 30 I provide a bottom for the pocket in front of the holes 3B which effectively prevents the contents of the pocket from slipping inwardly to interfere with insertion of the binder rings 4 when placing the pocket in a ring binder and also prevents the contents of the pocket from becoming injured by contact with the binder rings.

From all of the foregoing, it will appear that I have provided a pocket for ring binders of new and improved construction and for this reason possessing many advantagesA over prior constructions, some of which advantages I have pointed out in this description.

What I claim is:

A pocket for ring binders comprising, in combination, a strip of unplasticized, thermoplastic resin; a sheet of nexible, plasticized, thermoplastic resin disposed at each side of said strip with the rear edges of said sheets ush with each other, said sheets adjacent the rear and forward edges of the strip being heat-sealed to the strip, the heat-seal adjacent the forward edge of the strip providing a bottom for the pocket; circular, heat-sealed areas, spaced at binder-ring intervals lengthwise of said strip,

other to close the pocket;

to heat-seal the sheets and strip at said areas, the material bounded by these areas being readily removable, providing reinforced holes for the insertion of the rings of a binder; one of said sheets from front to rear thereof being Wider than the other; a closure for the pocket comprising two cooperating closure strips, one of which is heat-sealed to the outer edge of the wider of said sheets, the other closure strip being heatsealed to the outer edge of the narrower of said sheets; a slide movable lengthwise of said closure strips for locking the closure strips to each said sheets being heatsealed to each other at their ends, this heatseal crossing the ends of said closure strips so as to heat-seal the sheets to the ends of the closure strips as well, these last-mentioned heatsealed areas at the ends of the closure strips extending inwardly of the closure strips for a substantial distance so as to heat-seal the ends of the closure strips to each other at these areas, to provide a tab at each end of the closure strips for facilitating manipulation of said slide along said closure strips` References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,968 Kittredge Apr. 16, 1901 1,219,544 Gareis Mar. 20, 1917 2,144,755 Freedman Jan. 24, 1939 2,269,419 Adler et al. Jan. 13, 1942 2,286,117 Sidnell June 9, 1942 2,390,125 Schade Dec. 4, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 243,099 Great Britain 1925 

